Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg wants Cricket Australia to include Tim David in the team’s T20 World Cup squad. David wasn’t included in Australia’s squad for the series against Sri Lanka, which surprised a lot of experts as the right-hander has impressed with his pyrotechnics while playing across different T20 leagues around the world.
David did a fine job for Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Tata IPL 2022 as he scored 186 runs in eight matches at an impressive average of 37.20 and a strike rate of 216.27.
Meanwhile, as per the current rule of Cricket Australia, a player can not be selected for the national team, if he doesn’t have a contract with his state team, which David currently doesn’t have. However, David has proved his mettle and he can definitely provide the finishing touches to Australian innings in the T20I showpiece.
Brad Hogg said while talking on his YouTube channel, “You bring Smith up from the lower order and open the batting with him. Stoinis comes up at No.5 and Tim David comes in at No.6. Tim David, for me around the globe, is the best No.6 that you can have. He is the only player that consistently comes in in the final four overs and finds the boundary straightaway. It is a unique talent to have and Australia have got to utilize it.”
“The other issue, Australia have a rule that if you’re not contracted with a first-class state team to represent Australia in T20Is. He doesn’t have that contract. Australia have got to change that rule. You can’t have a rule as stupid as that, keeping a player like him out.”
Meanwhile, Aaron Finch’s place is also in danger as he isn’t in the best of forms. Finch had a ho-hum IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders as he could only score 86 runs in five matches. Hogg believes David can replace Finch in the Australian team.
“If you look at the team in the final of the last T20 World Cup, I think Tim David can come in and replace Aaron Finch. Aaron Finch has been out of form for a long period of time and its unsustainable to keep him in. He has got to change that very quickly or he has got to be out of the team. You can’t carry players when you’re coming to a T20 World Cup. Finch is on notice.”
Australia will be once again the favorite in the upcoming T20I World Cup as they will be playing in their own conditions.
